The Digital Marketing Blog

All Talk, No Walk? Content Marketing Is Hot Topic, But Near Bottom of 2015 Ad Budgets

Everyone is talking about “content marketing” — that amalgam of articles, videos, native ads, and other nouveau marketing designed to more effectively engage consumers — but are marketers walking the walk, or just talking the talk?

Because budgets, according to a recent story in AdAge, don’t show much accommodation for content marketing.

“In a recent survey, 52 percent of marketers said one-quarter or less of their 2015 marketing budget is dedicated to content,” posits AdAge. “The survey, which asked 601 marketers about their tactics around content, comes from Contently, a company that licenses software to brands to help them manage content-marketing projects and connects these companies with freelance writers.”

Why the slack?

“Lack of budget was also the most cited challenge for content marketing efforts, with 34 percent of respondents noting it as their chief frustration. That was followed by inability to measure business results (22 percent) and lack of time (11 percent), according to the survey.”

Most marketers do seek original content, designed to support their campaigns. A full 69 percent of surveyed professionals said they “prefer original content over licensed content.”

There’s hope for content on the horizon. A recent eMarketer report suggests content marketing budgets will grow. eMarketer predicted that marketers will spend $4.3 billion on native advertising in 2015, a 34 percent increase in the coming year. Budgets could reach $8.8 billion in 2018.

According to AdAge, “The average Fortune 500 brand is probably spending between 26 percent and 50 percent of its marketing budget on content. Dell, for instance, has dedicated that percentage of its budget to content marketing, according to the survey results. The survey also noted that Dell has more than 10 employees dedicated to the practice and publishes more than 20 pieces of content each week, excluding social media posts. Most respondents — 57 percent — have two or more people dedicated to content marketing.”